Seal for railway-car doors.



J. W. ROSS.

SEAL FOR RAILWAY CAR DOORS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. I915.

1,143A41 Patented June 15, 1915.

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T RRRRRR IS PETERS C0,. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

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JAY W. ROSS, OF FORSYTH, GEORGIA.

SEAL FOR RAILWAY-CAB, DOORS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAY W. Ross, citizen of the United States, residing at Forsyth, in the county of Monroe and State of Georgla, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seals for Railway-Car Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to seals and more particularly to that class of such devices especially adapted for use with railway car doors and has for its primary object the provision of a seal which may be effectively locked without the use of a seal. press or other tool.

A further object of this invention is to construct a seal of the character set forth out of sheet metal, thus lowering the cost of manufacture of the device. I w

A further object of the invention is to provide automatic locking means adapted to receive the shackle and securely lock the same. 5

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists in the peculiar combination and arrangement of the .various related elements of a seal as hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings forming a portion of this specification and illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, similar reference numerals indicating similar parts wherever used: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the seal. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section showing the seal locked. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the locking members. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing the locking members. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

The seal is represented as a whole by the numeral 7, and comprises a long narrow strip bent at 8, to form two portions 8 and 9, comprising the shackle and having a portion 10, bent back to form a head 11, which is provided with an opening 12. The portion 8, extends from a wider portion 13, having upwardly extending side members 14 and 15. A relatively smaller portion 16 extends from the portion 8, and carries a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 6, 1915.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Serial No. 6,497.

strip 17, of the same width as the portion 8. The strip 17 is provided with side members 18 and 19 bent at right angles thereto. A strip 20, extends from the portion 17, and is bent back upon itself at 21, for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The locking mechanism comprises a V- shaped metal strip 23, one leg of which is doubled back. upon itself and pointed to form atongue 26. This leg of the V-shaped strip has at approximately its center a struck up portion 24 to form a second tongue. The tongue 24.- is struck up on the same side as the tongue 26 and therefore lies directly beneath it. The opposite side of the member 23, has a central aperture 28, therein, and upon either side thereof is a small projection 29 forming guides.

The method of assembling the seal is as follows: The end 30 of the V-shaped locking plate 23 is inserted under theportion 21 of the strip 20, and crimped or riveted in place. The strip 20 is then bent until the portion 31, of the locking plate 23, lies on the inner face of the strip 17 as shown in Fig. 2. The strip 17, is then bent in the same direction until the strip 20 abuts against the portion 8. The side members 1 1 and 15, of the portion 8, and the side members 18 and 19, of the portion 17 will now be adjacent one another, where they may be crimped or bent together in any suitable manner, as at In order to lock the seal, the head 11, is inserted underneath the strip 20, the spring metal allowing of ready insertion by compressing the head. 11. As soon as the head 11 is free of the strip 20, the head 11 will expand. A slight forward pull upon the shackle 9 will cause the head 11, to travel into the V-shaped strip 23, and under the tongue 26. When the movement of the head is reversed the guides 29 will cause the free end of the tongue 26 to engage the hole 12, and upon a continued reverse movement the free end of the head springs under and behind the tongue 24:. l/Vhen the parts are in this position, the tongue 24: prevents forward movement of the head, while the tongue 26, holds said head against rearward movement, thus locking the head in the housing. In order to make the locking action secure, the free end of the tongue 26 springs into the central aperture 28, between the projections 29, of the plate 23. Obviously when the head is in locked position, forward movement is prevented by the tongue 24, and rearward movement by the tongue 26. Once the seal is locked, it is practically impossible to pick it, and the only way to release the parts is to destroy the casing or cut the members 8 or 9. If one tries to force a tool or the like into the housing to release the lock, it is evident that the attempt willbe foiled on account of the disposition of the members 20 and 23.- I

I realize that considerable variation of the specific details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is therefore not my intention to limit myself to the specific form herein shown and described, but to construe ,the following claims as broadly as the state of the prior art Will permit. 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. a A seal comprising a chamber and a shackle having one end attached thereto, locking means in said chamber, said means comprising a V-shap'ed plate, oppositely extending and overlying tongues on one of the legs of the said plate, the other leg of the said V-shaped plate having an opening to receive one of the said tongues, the free end of the shackle having an opening therein to cooperate with the said tongues upon insertion thereunder.

2. A seal comprising a chamber and a shackle, locking means in said chamber adapted to hold said shackle, said locking means comprising a V-shaped plate, two

tongues carried by one leg of the said plate,

both tongues on the inside of the said leg,

one of the said tongues longer than the other and overlying the shorter tongue, one end inside upon itself to form a tongue, the said leg havinga central struck-out portion on the inside thereof, forming a second tongue, the said s truck-out portion being on the same ,side of the free leg as the first-mentioned tongue and lying beneath it, projections on the other leg of the V-shaped plate forming guides, the said leg having a central opening between the-guides to receivethe innermost tongue, the free end of the shackle bent back upon itself and having an open- 3 ing in the bent portion thereof, the opening in the free end of the shackle cooperating with one of the tongues carried by the locking means, the .end of the said shackle coop crating with the. other tongue, the said guides directing the bent end of the shackle so that it will be engaged by the tongues.

In testimony whereof I have, signedmy name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, g V

JAY W. ROSS.

Witnesses; v p a V 7' l EMILY F. CAMP, JNo. IMIRIL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. i 

